1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disc apparatus which has a structure in that the device can be connected to a server through the Internet and which is capable of adding an optional function.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a digital versatile disc (DVD) which is an optical disc that can record a large capacity of information of audio and video data such as a movie and the like, has become popular. As for kind of DVD, it is well known that a DVD-ROM on which information is recorded by a manufacturer and information cannot be overwritten by a user, a DVD-R or a DVD+R on which information can be written once by a user, a DVD-RW, a DVD+RW or a DVD-RAM on which information can be overwritten by user some times and the like. The information recorded on these DVDs can be reproduced by a DVD player or a DVD recorder and recording on a DVD-R, a DVD+R, a DVD-RW, a DVD+RW, or a DVD-RAM can be performed by the DVD recorder.
By the way, for an optical disc apparatus such as the DVD recorder or the DVD player, production and sales are performed such that number of models of the optical disc apparatus is made large and amount of production for each model is kept small in order to be applicable to various users. That is, in the optical disc apparatus production and sales are performed in so called “many models and small production” in preparation for a variety of users.
For example, such as a DVD recorder which has a recording/reproducing function of DVD-R and a recording/reproducing function of DVD-RW, a DVD recorder which has a recording/reproducing function of DVD+R and a recording/reproducing function of DVD+RW, a DVD player which has the reproducing function of DVD-R and the reproducing function of DVD-RW, and a DVD player which has the reproducing function of DVD+R and the reproducing function of DVD+RW, many models and small production policy is kept in production and sales in the optical disc apparatus.
At this point there are cases that users require to add a new function onto the optical disc apparatus they have purchased. However, in such cases, because the conventional optical disc apparatus does not have a structure by which the new function is added on, the user must buy a new optical disc apparatus which has the function the user requires to add. It causes a problem that burden of buying expense for the user becomes increased. Further for manufacturer, because the manufacturer makes number of models of the optical disc apparatus large and keeps amount of production of each model small to correspond to various users, it causes a problem that production cost of the optical disc apparatus becomes high.
In the conventional technology disclosed in JP-A-2006-085349, a salesperson in an outlet store, for example, connects a camera which is required by a user to a sales management apparatus and downloads a latest firmware from the sales management apparatus to the camera for installing the firmware. However, this conventional technology does not disclose anything about process and structure for a case that it is required to add a new function for the optical disc apparatus which is bought by a user, therefore, it cannot solve the problem as above described.
In the conventional technology disclosed in JP-A-2004-078728, a television receiver is supplied with download service of a module. However, this conventional technology does not also disclose anything about process and structure for a case that it is required to add a new function for the optical disc apparatus which is bought by a user, therefore, it cannot solve the problem as above described, too.
In the conventional technology disclosed in JP-A1-2002-021266, an application is downloaded to a wireless portable terminal in response to a requirement through the Internet. However, this conventional technology does not also disclose anything about process and structure for a case that it is required to add a new function for the optical disc apparatus which is bought by a user, therefore, it cannot solve the problem as above described, too.
In the conventional technology disclosed in JP-A-2003-084985, a Set Top Box user pays for delivered machine and downloaded software to a cable operator for installing a latest software when the machine is purchased. However, this conventional technology does not also disclose anything about process and structure for a case that it is required to add a new function for the optical disc apparatus which is bought by a user, therefore, it cannot solve the problem as above described, too.